Beautiful Trouble: A Dark Mafia Romance

Winter seemed shocked. She stood unmoving, staring at me like I’d just sprouted a second head and started singing like Liberace. She shook herself out of it and managed to smile at Hadeon.

“Apology accepted. I’ll be honest. I didn’t think Darren much cared about my honor.”

“Apparently, he cares a great deal. He is willing to injure an important alliance for your sake.”

I seethed at that. He was right—hitting him had been impulsive and stupid. I could find someone else to take his place, but it would cost me time that I couldn’t afford, not when Roman was stalking around on the outskirts of my world.

“If you’ll excuse us.” I grabbed Winter’s arm and tugged her away.

“Lovely meeting you all,” she called out as I dragged her back into the hallway.

I heard Anthony crack a joke, and some of the men even laughed as he holstered his gun.

By the time I returned, they’d be best friends again. That was Anthony’s true power: the ability to be liked.

He smoothed out my rough edges.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?” I asked when the door swung shut.

She ripped her arm from my grip. “I wanted to hear what you were talking about in there.”

“What makes you think you could do that?”

“You don’t have rules against it.”

I ground my jaw. That damn girl was going to follow the letter of the law, even if that meant making my life hell.

“Do you know who those men are?”

“Gangsters, if I had to guess. The one you punched looked pretty scary.”

“He’s the head of the Ukrainian mafia. They call him the Magician because he makes people disappear.”

“Terrifying.” Her lips quirked and her head tilted. “And you didn’t hesitate to stick up for me.”

“I can’t allow him to disrespect my guest in front of me like that. It would be showing weakness, and these men are like dogs ready to pounce.” Partially true, but not the whole story. I couldn’t tell her that the thought of Hadeon putting his hands on her made my blood boil so hot it felt like my skin would slough off. “Don’t think for a second that it was about you.”

Her smile faltered. “You and your stupid pride. Did you stop and think that maybe I could handle myself?”

“No, because you clearly can’t.” I ran my eyes up and down her body, staring at her breasts and hips and long legs, and licked my lips. “You can’t come strutting into a meeting with men like that looking like this.”

“And why not? I’d be asking for whatever they did?”

“No, you wouldn’t be asking for it. But it still might happen, regardless.” I was exasperated and annoyed. She was a smart girl—she had to see how dangerous it was to parade herself in front of men like Hadeon and his lieutenants.

To them, she was another piece of ass. They didn’t give a damn who her father was or how useful she might be.

She looked so angry and defiant. I wanted to pin her to the wall and show her what a man like Hadeon might do—wanted to strip off that sexy outfit, make her parade around the house naked, humiliated, shamed, broken. I felt myself stiffen at the thought of taming her.

“Whatever you do right now affects my life,” she breathed. “If you’re going to sit around in fancy rooms and discuss my future, then I’m going to be there to have some say in it.”

“Bullshit. You came in to try to knock me off balance. You think dressing like this and flirting is going to make me lose my mind.”

“Clearly it’s working then. You haven’t been able to take your eyes off me since I walked in there.”

She was right, damn it. I hated to admit it, but ever since she’d come into my life, I hadn’t been able to shake her. Each new encounter was like a shot of heroin straight to my brain, and I felt the addiction slowly taking hold.

“Enough. Go back to your room and stop causing problems.”

“Let me have a say in what happens.”

“You’re a captive. If you don’t start acting like one, I’m going to make you wish you never met Cassie and Roman.”

“I doubt that.” She moved closer. Her smell flooded my nostrils again, like back in the pool. Fuck, she dripped with sex and oozed desire. I stepped forward, forcing her back into the shadows around the wall. She never took her eyes from me until she bumped up against a light fixture.

“You think they’re your real friends, don’t you?” I asked with a hint of menace.

“I think Cassie’s a good person and I love her.”

“She’s Roman’s now. Maybe he’s listening to her, but you won’t be worth the trouble forever. What will you be to me then?”

“Why don’t you let me go now and save yourself the frustration?”